Biblical Teaching - Verse By Verse
Statement
of Faith
Background
Candlelight
Fellowship is a body of believers (1) gathering together under the
Lordship of Jesus Christ to (2) worship Him, be (3) taught by His Word,
(4) grow in our love for one another and (5) be equipped for the work of
the ministry by (6) serving the body of Christ and (7) bringing the gospel
to all men both at home and abroad.
(1)
Hebrews 10:25, (2) Psalm 96, (3) 2 Timothy 3:16-17, (4) 1 Peter 1:22,
(5) Eph. 4:11-12, (6) Col. 3:16, 1 Peter 1:22, Heb. 10:24-25 (7) Matt. 28;19-20
Purpose
We
come to worship Him because (1) He is worthy to receive glory, honor
and power. He has created all things, We therefore emphasize songs of
worship and praise.
(1)
Revelation 4:11
We
come to be taught by His Word because it is a (1) lamp unto our feet
and a light unto our path, leading us to a knowledge of Him. We therefore
emphasize the teaching of His Word.
(1)
Psalm 119:105, Psalm 119:9-16
We
come to grow in our love because it is (1) His commandment that we
love one another, and by this the world will know that we are His
disciples. We therefore emphasize the (2) unity and fellowship of His
body.
(1)
John 15:12,17, (2) Ephesians
4:1-6,
Note:
(1) Unity in the Lord Jesus Christ is realized by all who hold fast to the
scriptures and walk in holiness before the Lord. Man made unity at the
expense of sound doctrine and practical Christianity is rejected as
unscriptural.
(1)
Romans 16:17
Worship
We
believe that worship of God should be (1) spiritual. Therefore we
remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct
our worship.
(1)
John 4:23-24
We
believe that worship of God should be inspirational. Therefore, we
give great place to (1) music in our worship.
(1)
Psalm 150
We
believe that worship of God should be intelligent. Therefore our
services are designed with great emphasis upon the (1) teaching of the
Word of God, (2) that He might instruct us how He should be worshipped.
(1)
2 Timothy 4:2-5, (2) Deuteronomy 12:28-32
We
believe that worship of God should be fruitful. Therefore, we look for
(1) His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have been
truly worshipping Him.
(1) John
15:1-11
Doctrine
We believe (1) in God
and that He is the personal, (2) transcendent, (3) eternal, (4) sovereign
Creator of all things. We believe (5) He alone is God, (6) He is the first
and last, there is no other.
(1) Genesis
1:1, (2) Romans 11:33-36, (3) Isaiah 57:15, (4) Psalm 115:3,
(5) Isaiah 43:10, (6) Revelation 22:13
We believe that God is
(1) eternally self existent and has revealed Himself as a (2) Tri-unity of
three persons: (3) Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as three persons in the
(4) Godhead and yet one Lord God Almighty.
(1) Exodus
3:14, (2) Matthew 28:19, (3)
1 John 5:7, (4) Colossians 2:8-9
We believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ, He is the (1) only begotten Son of God, He Himself is (2)
God (3) incarnate and in Him the fullness of the
(4) Godhead
is revealed to man. Therefore, He is appropriately called God the Son.
(1) John 3:16, (2) Isaiah 7:14,
Matthew 1:23, John 1:1 (3) 1 Timothy 3:16, John 1:14, (4) Colossians 2:9
We believe in the Bible,
both the Old and New Testaments. We believe it is the (1) inspired,
inerrant, authoritative, Word of God. The Bible is sufficient in and of
itself to provide us with (2) all that pertains to life and Godliness.
(1) 2 Timothy
3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21 (2) 2
Peter 1:2-3
We believe that Jesus
Christ is the only Savior and that all who wish to come to God must (1)
come through Him. Therefore, (2) any and all who reject Jesus as both Lord
and Christ have no possibility of acceptance by God the Father.
(1) John 14:6, (2) 1 John 2:22-23
We believe that
(1) Jesus Christ came in the flesh as both God and man. He never
ceased being God and yet in His humanity was fully man.
(1)
Philippians 2:5-11
Jesus Christ was (1) born of a virgin,
(2) lived a sinless life, (3) worked miracles, (4) provided for the
atonement of our sins by His vicarious death on the cross, after three
days and three nights in the grave was physically
(5) raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, (6)
ministered to and (7) commissioned His disciples, (6) ascended bodily back
to the right hand of the Father and (8) ever lives to make intercession
for us.
(1) Isaiah
7:14 Matthew 1:23, (2) 1
Peter 2:21-22 Hebrews
7:26-27,
(3) Acts
2:22, (4) 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, (5) 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, (6) Acts
1:2-11, (7) Matthew 28:18-20, (8) Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25
We believe that after
Jesus ascended to heaven (1) He poured out His Holy Spirit upon the
believers: His Church, at which time they were empowered to live a godly
life and fulfill His command to preach the Gospel to the entire world, an
obligation shared by all believers today.
(1) Acts
1:8-2:4
We believe in
the present work of the Holy Spirit in the world today. Jesus said: (1) “when He has come, He will convict the
world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
(1) John 16:7-8
He works in (1) regeneration, (2)
sealing the believer unto the day of redemption, (3) teaching, (4)
empowering for service and guiding the believer into (5) maturity and
fruitfulness.
(1) Titus
3:5, (2) Ephesians 1:13-14, (3) John
14:26 1 John 2:27, (4)
Acts 1:8, (5) Galatians 5:22-25
We believe in the (1)
gifts of the Holy Spirit and their operation in the Church today. We
believe the purpose of these gifts is to edify the body of Christ: His
Church, to equip us for the ministry and above all to glorify Christ.
We believe these gifts are to be
disciplined as prescribed by the scriptures, should never be used to draw
attention to or to glorify man, should be practiced in a decent and
orderly fashion, and must always be operational in a spirit of love.
(1) 1 Corinthians 12-14
We believe that all
people are by nature (1) sinful, (2) separated from God and (3)
responsible for their own sin. We believe that man in and of himself has
(4) nothing to offer God in exchange for his soul and will (5) spend
eternity in hell should he reject the provisions provided for him in Jesus
Christ our Lord. (6) Salvation: (6a) redemption, (6b) justification,
(6c)
forgiveness and (6d) sanctification, are
(7) freely offered (8) to all
(9) through
the grace of God by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1) Romans
3:10-23, (2) Isaiah 59:1-4, (3)
Ezekiel 18:20-23,
(4) Matthew
16:25-26, (5) Matthew 10:28, Revelation 20:12-15,
(6) Romans
1:16 (6a) Ephesians 1:7 (6b) Romans 4:25-5:1
(6c)
Colossians 1:14 (6d) Hebrews 10:10 (7) 1 Corinthians 2:12,
Revelation
21:6 (8) John 3:16, Titus
2:11 (9) Ephesians 2:8-9
When a person (1) repents of sin and
(2) makes Jesus Christ the Lord of their life, (3) recognizing His as
Savior, (4) trusting in His finished work; that person is immediately (5)
born again and (6) sealed by the Holy Spirit, (7) all sins are forgiven
and (8) becomes a child of God (9) destined to spend eternity with the
Lord.
(1) Mark
1:14-15, Luke 24:46-48, Acts 3:19 (2) Philippians 2:10-11, Matthew 7:21-27
(3) Isaiah 45:21-22, 1 John 4:13-15 (4) John 19:30, Hebrews 10:1-14,
Colossians 2:8-10 (5) John 3:1-8, 1 Peter 1:18-23,
1 John 5:1-5
(6) Ephesians 1:1-14 (7) Colossians 2:10-13, Isaiah 55:7,
1 John 1:9
(8) John 1:12-13, 1 John 3:1-3 (9) John 3:16-17 & 36,
John 14:1-4
We believe that (1)
salvation is offered by grace through faith alone. Salvation is not of
ourselves, it is a gift of God, not granted by any human merit or offering
of good works. (2) Any offering of salvation granted by human achievement,
be it all or in part, is not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and
should be rejected as heresy.
(1) Ephesians 2:8-9 (2) Galatians
1:3-9 & 2:16-3:14
NOTE: (Many believers don’t really understand the power of the Gospel
and are trapped in a game of performance based Christianity.
Here is the
scenario.
When
many respond to Christ they are taught to believe that being a Christian
involves “asking Jesus into their lives” and then making every effort
to live a life pleasing to the Lord. They expel great energy “working”
and “trying” to please God, make good choices, and refuse the impulses
of the flesh. They focus their energy warring with the devil/demons,
fleshly habits and the lure of the world - always with little to no
success, and always with great discouragement. However, they believe that
this effort is pleasing to the Lord and He therefore “makes up the
difference” for their weakness by an act of His grace. Thus they are
“saved.” - Oh how far this strays from the true Gospel message.
The good news of the Gospel is that
God, in accordance with the good pleasure of His will, made provision for
the total forgiveness of our sin/s. Jesus gave His life that we might have
redemption through His blood. Jesus took the penalty we deserve upon
Himself and died in our place. His life - the only acceptable payment for
sin, given by the shedding of His blood, provides total cleansing of our
sin/s. It is by the offering of Jesus’ life and through the power of His
resurrection we have forgiveness of sin/s and a new life in Him. By faith
alone in Christ alone our sin is forgiven and exchanged for His
righteousness.
Nowhere in Scripture are we told to
“ask Jesus into our lives.” However, we are instructed to surrender
ourselves to Him. As Christians (born again by the Spirit of God) we are
made the righteousness of God in Christ. We don’t spend our lives “working”
and “trying” to please the Lord. We surrender ourselves to His
leadership and rest in His holiness. Our human effort to “please the
Lord” by “trying harder” is an affront to His grace and power
working in us. The Christian enters into the “Sabbath Rest” of a
relationship with Jesus and ceases striving to please the Lord; thus
enjoying a continual maturing by God’s Spirit within. “For he who has
entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from
His.” (Hebrews 4:10)
God will deliver us, direct us, change
us, and mature us. Let Him do the clean up. Trust Him, surrender to His
leadership and give Him all the glory.)
We reject Calvinism.
We
believe obedience to the Lord is the outflow of true conversion. A
life of personal holiness is the experience of all believers.
1 John 3:3-10, 1 Peter 1:13-16, Ephesians 2:10
We believe in the
ordinance of (1) baptism in water by immersion, a public expression of our
faith and identification in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
(1) Matthew
28:19-20
Note: We do not believe in
baptismal regeneration. 1 Peter 3:21
We believe in the
ordinance of communion. The Lord’s supper, consisting in the elements of
bread and wine, representing the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This serves as a memorial to His suffering and death, is a prophesy
concerning His second coming and is to be enjoyed by all believers until
He comes.
(1) 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
We believe
in the pre-tribulation (1) rapture of the church: the (2) imminent and
blessed hope of all believers. The dead in Christ shall rise first, then
we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
(1) 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18
(2) Titus
2:13-14, Philippians 4:5, Revelation 22:12-13
We believe in the Great
Tribulation…a (1) judgment upon Israel and (2) the unbelieving world who
have rejected the offer of Salvation. During this seven year period, (3)
God shall pour out upon the inhabitants of the earth, sore judgments and
afflictions such as the world has never known. Those who have heard and
refused the Gospel shall be (4) blinded from the truth and damned to
destruction… while those who have never heard the Gospel shall have an
opportunity to respond to the preaching of the (5) 144,000 chosen sealed
Jews, (6) the two prophets, (7) the angel who proclaims the truth from the
heavens. Many of these who turn to the Lord (8) shall be murdered by the
Anti-Christ, the False Prophet, and those of his kingdom; but (9) shall be
raised up again by the Lord to life everlasting.
(1)Jeremiah
30:3-11 (2) Revelation 2:21-23, Matthew 24:36-51
(3)Revelation
6:1-17, 8:1-9:21, 16:1-21 (4) 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
(5)
Revelation 7:4-8 (6) Revelation 11:3-12 (7) Revelation 14:6-7
(8)Revelation
6:9-11 (9) Revelation 20:4-5
We believe in the (1)
visible second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at which time (2) the
battle of Armageddon shall occur. Jesus will then (3) set up His
millennial kingdom and will reign here on the earth for 1000 years. We,
(4) His blood-bought-church will reign with Him. At this time (5) Jesus
will be recognized by national Israel as Messiah. (6) Many Jews will then
turn to Jesus as Lord.
As the Prince of Peace,
(7) Jesus will, by His rod of iron rule the nations. (8) Satan will
be bound for the 1000 year period and (9) universal peace will be
established.
(1) Matthew
24:29-30, Acts 1:9-11, Revelation 1:7, 19:11-14 (2) Revelation
19:17-21 (3)
Revelation 20:4-5, (4) Revelation 20:6 (5) Zechariah 12:1-13:6, Romans
11:1-24 (6) Romans 11:1-36 (7) Revelation 19:15-16,
(8) Revelation 20:1-3 (9) Isaiah
11:1-12:6
We believe there will be
a final judgment of the living and the dead. (1) The believer will appear
before the judgment seat of Christ where we shall be judged according to
our works and rewarded accordingly. (2) The unbelieving will be raised and
judged according to their works and whoever is not found written in the
book of life, (3) together with the Devil and his angels, the beast and
the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake
of fire.
(1) 2
Corinthians 5:10 (2) Revelation 20:11-15 (3) Revelation 20:10
We
believe in (1) the new heavens and new earth wherein righteousness
dwells. We who have trusted in Christ as Savior will live with Him
forever.
(1) Revelation 21:1-7
The
Church and It’s Mission
We believe the Church is
the (1) Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit. Every
born again believer is an integral part of His body. Jesus said: (2) “I
will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it.” (1) 1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:21-22,
(2) Matthew 16:18
We believe the mission
of the Church is to be a family of those who (1) worship the Lord in
spirit and truth, to be a body of believers who (2) study the scriptures
that we might grow in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord;
fashioned into the image of Jesus. To be a body of believers who (3)
gather together for fellowship, encouragement and instruction. To be an
agency for the (4) evangelization of the world.
(1) John
4:23-24 (2) 2 Timothy 2:15 (3) Hebrews 10:25
(4) Matthew 28:19-20
We believe in a (1)
divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry provided by our Lord
for the maturing of the saints.
(1) Ephesians
4:11-12
Additional
Information
Because we understand that these statements are brief and may
encourage further questions we would like to make ourselves available to
you. Please feel free to call Paul Van Noy at 208-772-7755. We will gladly
discuss any of these things with you in order to assist you in your growth
in the Lord.
May the Lord richly bless you as you
continue to study His Word.
Compassion International